[mgj-discuss] Framing spring actions on IMF/Bank

[Timi Gerson]

FYI - just a pont of interest with NOW - they actually were pretty
active (or at least around) during the Fast Track fight and did a bunch
of resolutions against it.  So it shows that they are at least thinking
about these issues. (that being said, I agree with Mike that they
haven't historically had a very broad view of things and have been big
Dem apologists - hence why my women's studies degree is not being used
to be a professional NOW-style  feminist, but is instead being used to
fight corporate globalization).

Also, being that they are in tight with the Dems, the fact is that with
a GOP White House Dems are more critical of the same kind of corporate
globalization they enthused about with Clinton.  So NOW groups don't
feel that they have to go against Dems to criticize World Bank, free
trade, et al.  Meaning that we can get them on the record NOW (no pun
intended) about this stuff - making it harder for them to reverse
position when/if "their boys" get back in power. 

I think there could be some really good work done with groups that
bridge the gap between mainstream feminist organizations and more
progressive anti-corporate globalization work (like Womens Edge, for
example) who are already helping to make these connections.  Obviously
we all know that corporate globalization has a disproportionate impact
on women.  THere could even be co-sponsored joint events like an 
"International Women's Tribunal on XXXXXX [Reproductive Rights, Debt and
Healthcare, name issue that links NOW issues with issues of women in
Global South]".  It's not about bending over backwards,but if a few
people wanted to take it on as an outreach task, it could be very cool.


Timi



Timi Gerson
Organizer/FTAA Coordinator 
Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch 
215 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington DC, 20003 USA 
tgerson at citizen.org & www.tradewatch.org 
Ph: + 202-454-5103, Fax: + 202-547 7392 

>>> Mike Flugennock <flugennock at sinkers.org> 01/08/04 08:50AM >>>
At 19:03 +0000 01.05.2004, Luke Kuhn wrote:
>    This could really kick some ass- in fact,it could even get some of
the
>people in town for teh pro-choice march to join the IMF action as
well. If
>that kind of political linkage were to occur it couold be a major
problem
>for the IMF, as getting NOW and other "mainstream" feminist groups to
>condemn the world's worst loan shark would significantly expand teh
base
>of US based opposition to them.

Wow, I'd totally forgotten about that. I saw a couple of women at the
'zine
fair with a table for that event, but the date's totally slipped my
mind...as have the dates for the Spring IMF/WB meetings.



It sounds like a fine idea, if you really think we can get old-school,
mainstream, liberal Democratic feminist America on board -- if you
really
think we can get an outfit like NOW to give a damn about something
besides
electing Democrats to office, and preserving abortion rights for rich
white
women (and I honestly haven't seen them give a shit about anything
else,
except those times I saw them barging in on a few Code Pink events).

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know... "Mike, you filthy chauvanist bastard."

Well, all I've seen NOW do these days, sad to say, is function as
apologists for the Democrats, and slag the Green Party campaigners
during
the last Presidential "election".

I suppose, if they're _really_ gung-ho, I'm totally fine with them
hooking
up with us; the more, the merrier, I suppose. I just don't think we
should
bend over (backwards, of course) to accomodate them. Liberals and
Democrats
have repeatedly hijacked and neutralized popular peoples' movements in
this
country as far back as I can remember (in my case, the 60s), and I
can't
see how we could accomplish anything with NOW's "help" any better than
we
could in affinity with womens' groups who are more aggressive, more
revolutionary, and, unlike NOW, know that change is going to come from
themselves alone, through direct action -- not by wasting energy
supporting
Liberal politicians. (I guess that's my one nightmare image of the
spring
IMF/WB events -- anarchists, workers, students, revolutionaries, and a
bunch of old Boomer women wearing Howard Dean buttons)


I guess my short answer is: No problem, I won't stop 'em from coming,
but I
wouldn't trust them to actually back us up -- or not go running back to
the
Democrats -- when things get tough.





.
"All over, people changing their votes,
 along with their overcoats;
 if Adolf Hitler flew in today,
 they'd send a limousine anyway!"         --the clash.
_______________________________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, the Sinkers, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike Flugennock's Mikey'zine, http://www.sinkers.org